How's your franchise going?

[michaelhalljr]

Didn't see this posted yet. Curious as to how everyone is going to play franchise mode this year. Going to be weird without having owners, but doesn't seem like it affects things very much.
I'll be doing 32 team control, playing every regular season and post season game. I'll be flipping a coin to decide if I'm the home team or away. I've done this in years past, and completed a few seasons, but not in the last 2 iterations of the game. I'll post updates here, and also will be posting gameplay to my YouTube channel @oldheadfranchiseguy.
Hope you all enjoy the game this year, it's a pretty decent step, still some to take though.

[michaelhalljr]

Really fun opening game. Offense did not come easy, and the pass protection is not good at all. That's something they need to fix asap.
Anyway, Eagles (me) 16 Cowboys 12.

[michaelhalljr]

Chiefs (me) 36 Chargers 22
I like the variation from previous game. Hoping that continues.

[bkrich83]

I went ahead and started a Chargers Franchise. I created a custom coach but want to continue on the Harbaugh path of Physical run game to set up the play action pass and a Ravens style defense. We opened the season in Brazil losing to KC.

I'm playing around with ChatGPT to create the game stories.


MAHOMES SHINES IN SEASON OPENER AS CHIEFS EDGE CHARGERS, 28-23
By Staff Writer — Madden 26 Franchise

mahomes.png
SÃO PAULO, Brazil - Patrick Mahomes picked up right where he left off.
The Kansas City quarterback was razor-sharp in the 2026 season opener, throwing for 252 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers 28-23 in front of an international crowd at Arena Corinthians.

The defending AFC West champions (1-0) built a 21-13 halftime lead behind Mahomes' precision passing and a punishing ground game from Isiah Pacheco, who ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City's defense bent but didn't break, forcing the Chargers (0-1) to settle for field goals on three red-zone trips.

Ladd McConkey was the Chargers' lone bright spot on offense, hauling in 13 passes for 189 yards and a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Justin Herbert finished with 337 yards and two scores, but Los Angeles couldn't close the gap late despite a Will Dissly touchdown with just over two minutes remaining.

Kansas City sealed the win by recovering the onside kick and running out the clock in a game that marked the NFL's return to Brazil for the first time in years.

---

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter
LAC - C. Dicker 26 yd FG
KC  - I. Pacheco 8 yd run (H. Butker kick)

2nd Quarter
LAC - L. McConkey 30 yd pass from J. Herbert (C. Dicker kick)
KC  - R. Rice 3 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
KC  - M. Brown 5 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
LAC - C. Dicker 40 yd FG

3rd Quarter
LAC - C. Dicker 21 yd FG

4th Quarter
KC  - J. Smith-Schuster 9 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
LAC - W. Dissly 3 yd pass from J. Herbert (C. Dicker kick)

---

TEAM STATISTICS

                KC    LAC
First Downs      --     --
Total Yards      --     --
Pass Yards      252    337
Rush Yards      134     98
Turnovers         0      0
3rd Down %       --     --

---

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING
KC  - P. Mahomes: 25/33, 252 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
LAC - J. Herbert: 30/38, 337 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT

RUSHING
KC  - I. Pacheco: 17 att, 111 yds, 1 TD
     P. Mahomes: 4 att, 12 yds
     K. Hunt: 2 att, 11 yds
LAC - N. Harris: 16 att, 53 yds
     O. Hampton: 8 att, 48 yds
     D. Davis: 1 att, -3 yds

RECEIVING
KC  - M. Brown: 5 rec, 86 yds, 1 TD
     R. Rice: 5 rec, 25 yds, 1 TD
     J. Smith-Schuster: 4 rec, 33 yds, 1 TD
     T. Kelce: 3 rec, 28 yds
     X. Worthy: 3 rec, 47 yds
     I. Pacheco: 3 rec, 12 yds
     K. Hunt: 2 rec, 21 yds
LAC - L. McConkey: 13 rec, 189 yds, 1 TD
     K. Allen: 4 rec, 43 yds
     W. Dissly: 4 rec, 38 yds, 1 TD
     O. Gadsden: 2 rec, 19 yds
     Q. Johnston: 2 rec, 18 yds
     N. Harris: 2 rec, 16 yds
     T. Harris: 1 rec, 5 yds
     O. Hampton: 1 rec, 3 yds

---

Kansas City opens the year 1-0 and looks to build on the early momentum next week, while the Chargers fall to 0-1 and will be seeking answers before their Week 2 matchup against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

[michaelhalljr]

Bengals 34 Browns (me) 20
Decided to make Sheduer the Browns starter, and he didn't disappoint. 2 late picks hurt him in his first career start, but he held his own going up against one of the best qb's in the game right now. Very fun game!!

[bkrich83]

Week 2 in the books. Chargers improve to 1-1.

CHARGERS EDGE RAIDERS 20-17 IN DIVISION BATTLE
By Staff Writer — Madden 26 Franchise

Herbert.png
Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes for the Chargers in their 20–17 win over the Raiders.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers held off a late push from the Las Vegas Raiders to claim a hard-fought 20-17 victory at SoFi Stadium in Week 2.

Justin Herbert was efficient and sharp, completing 14 of 18 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie running back Omarion Hampton found the end zone through the air for the second straight week.

The Chargers struck first when Herbert connected with tight end Will Dissly on an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Las Vegas answered in the second with an 8-yard scoring pass from Geno Smith to Jakobi Meyers, followed by a Daniel Carlson field goal to take a 10-7 lead. Cameron Dicker drilled a 48-yarder just before halftime to send the game into the break tied at 10.

In the third quarter, Herbert found Hampton on a 7-yard swing pass for the go-ahead touchdown. The Raiders pulled even in the fourth when Smith scrambled for a 4-yard score, but Dicker’s 33-yard field goal with under five minutes to play proved to be the game-winner.

The Bolts’ defense sealed the win when cornerback Tarheeb Still]intercepted Smith in the closing minute.

The Chargers improve to 1-1 and will next host Denver (1-1) in their home opener.

---

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
LAC – Dissly 8 pass from Herbert (Dicker kick)

2nd Quarter
LV – Meyers 8 pass from Smith (Carlson kick)
LV – Carlson 21 FG
LAC – Dicker 48 FG

3rd Quarter
LAC – Hampton 7 pass from Herbert (Dicker kick)

4th Quarter
LV – Smith 4 run (Carlson kick)
LAC – Dicker 33 FG

---

Team Stats

LAC LV
Total Offense 305 304
Rushing Yards 117 75
Passing Yards 188 229

---

Box Score

1 2 3 4 F
LV 0 10 0 7 17
LAC 7 3 7 3 20

---

Full Box Score

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Passing: Smith 22-33, 245 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Smith 5-60, TD; Laube 9-19
Receiving: Meyers 6-81, TD; Agholor 5-49; Bowers 4-32; Bech 4-73

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Passing: Herbert 14-18, 207 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: Harris 21-87; Hampton 10-28; Davis 1-3
Receiving: McConkey 4-98; Dissly 4-36, TD; Allen 3-33; Hampton 2-26, TD; Gadsden II 1-14

[michaelhalljr]

I went ahead and started a Chargers Franchise. I created a custom coach but want to continue on the Harbaugh path of Physical run game to set up the play action pass and a Ravens style defense. We opened the season in Brazil losing to KC.

I'm playing around with ChatGPT to create the game stories.


MAHOMES SHINES IN SEASON OPENER AS CHIEFS EDGE CHARGERS, 28-23
By Staff Writer — Madden 26 Franchise

mahomes.png
SÃO PAULO, Brazil - Patrick Mahomes picked up right where he left off.
The Kansas City quarterback was razor-sharp in the 2026 season opener, throwing for 252 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers 28-23 in front of an international crowd at Arena Corinthians.

The defending AFC West champions (1-0) built a 21-13 halftime lead behind Mahomes' precision passing and a punishing ground game from Isiah Pacheco, who ran for 111 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City's defense bent but didn't break, forcing the Chargers (0-1) to settle for field goals on three red-zone trips.

Ladd McConkey was the Chargers' lone bright spot on offense, hauling in 13 passes for 189 yards and a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Justin Herbert finished with 337 yards and two scores, but Los Angeles couldn't close the gap late despite a Will Dissly touchdown with just over two minutes remaining.

Kansas City sealed the win by recovering the onside kick and running out the clock in a game that marked the NFL's return to Brazil for the first time in years.

---

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter
LAC - C. Dicker 26 yd FG
KC - I. Pacheco 8 yd run (H. Butker kick)

2nd Quarter
LAC - L. McConkey 30 yd pass from J. Herbert (C. Dicker kick)
KC - R. Rice 3 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
KC - M. Brown 5 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
LAC - C. Dicker 40 yd FG

3rd Quarter
LAC - C. Dicker 21 yd FG

4th Quarter
KC - J. Smith-Schuster 9 yd pass from P. Mahomes (H. Butker kick)
LAC - W. Dissly 3 yd pass from J. Herbert (C. Dicker kick)

---

TEAM STATISTICS

KC LAC
First Downs -- --
Total Yards -- --
Pass Yards 252 337
Rush Yards 134 98
Turnovers 0 0
3rd Down % -- --

---

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING
KC - P. Mahomes: 25/33, 252 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
LAC - J. Herbert: 30/38, 337 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT

RUSHING
KC - I. Pacheco: 17 att, 111 yds, 1 TD
P. Mahomes: 4 att, 12 yds
K. Hunt: 2 att, 11 yds
LAC - N. Harris: 16 att, 53 yds
O. Hampton: 8 att, 48 yds
D. Davis: 1 att, -3 yds

RECEIVING
KC - M. Brown: 5 rec, 86 yds, 1 TD
R. Rice: 5 rec, 25 yds, 1 TD
J. Smith-Schuster: 4 rec, 33 yds, 1 TD
T. Kelce: 3 rec, 28 yds
X. Worthy: 3 rec, 47 yds
I. Pacheco: 3 rec, 12 yds
K. Hunt: 2 rec, 21 yds
LAC - L. McConkey: 13 rec, 189 yds, 1 TD
K. Allen: 4 rec, 43 yds
W. Dissly: 4 rec, 38 yds, 1 TD
O. Gadsden: 2 rec, 19 yds
Q. Johnston: 2 rec, 18 yds
N. Harris: 2 rec, 16 yds
T. Harris: 1 rec, 5 yds
O. Hampton: 1 rec, 3 yds

---

Kansas City opens the year 1-0 and looks to build on the early momentum next week, while the Chargers fall to 0-1 and will be seeking answers before their Week 2 matchup against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Awesome idea, love it. I myself have zero idea how ChatGPT works 😆

[bkrich83]

Awesome idea, love it. I myself have zero idea how ChatGPT works 😆

Ha I just tell it want I want and make adjustments until it gets something close to what I'm looking for. There's definitely a learning curve.

[kdutch98]

So, I'm going to try something new here. Normally, I do a Michigan Wolverines dynasty for College Football, and also a separate Detroit Lions dynasty for Madden.

I've currently played through 2 seasons of College Football with the Wolverines, and will be concentrating on Madden for the next little while.

However, I have decided to try something different.

I'm going to be combining my Wolverines dynasty, and my Lions franchise into one thread. I will post updates as if these games were happening concurrently with each other, rather than as I play the games. SO, for example, if the Wolverines play on September 6th, and the Lions play on September 7th, I will post the Wolverines update, followed by the Lions update.

Each update will have a highlight video for that game, as well as links to the box score, and the standings/stats at that time (and polls for College) These links will not update like my dynasties did before. SO, for example, the standings link in the Week 1 update will reflect the standings at the end of week 1 only. Therefore, anyone could go back to a past post, and see what the standings were at that point in time in the dynasty/franchise.

It will probably move kinda slow at first, until I get the hang of it, but I hope there will be some interest in following it.

The combined franchise/Dynasty can be found here
https://forums.operationsports.com/f...s-dual-dynasty

[kdutch98]

Here is an example of what I will do on this dynasty.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Sep 7, 2025	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Detroit Lions (1-0)	14	7	14	3	48
Green Bay Packers (0-1)	7	10	7	0	24

BOX SCORE

Game Recap: Detroit Lions 48, Green Bay Packers 24
September 7, 2025 – Lambeau Field

The Detroit Lions opened their 2025 season in dominant fashion, defeating the Green Bay Packers 48–24 on the road at Lambeau Field. Quarterback Jared Goff led the charge, throwing for 324 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, while Detroit’s offense piled up 532 total yards.

First Half: Lions Take Control Early


Detroit struck first in the opening quarter with Jahmyr Gibbs’ 3-yard touchdown run, followed by a 19-yard TD pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. Green Bay responded with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Josh Jacobs, but the Lions carried a 14–7 lead into the second quarter.

In the second period, the Lions extended their lead behind Goff’s precise passing. Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in a 6-yard TD, and Sam LaPorta added a 17-yard score. Green Bay managed a field goal and a 48-yard TD from Jayden Reed, but a late Lions field goal pushed the halftime score to 31–17.

Second Half: Defense and Ground Game Seal It


The Lions’ defense made a huge statement in the third quarter when Tyliek Williams returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. David Montgomery added a 6-yard rushing TD, and despite a long 48-yard strike from Love to Christian Watson, Detroit entered the fourth up 45–24.

A late Jake Bates field goal in the final minute closed out the scoring, giving Detroit a 48–24 win and sending Packers fans home early.

Top Performers

• Jared Goff (DET) – 19/29, 324 yards, 3 TD
• Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) – 17 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD
• Jameson Williams (DET) – 6 receptions, 160 yards, 1 TD
• Jordan Love (GB) – 22/33, 324 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
• Christian Watson (GB) – 4 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

The Lions’ balanced attack and opportunistic defense set the tone for a season-opening statement win, while the Packers will need to regroup quickly to avoid an early-season skid
Postgame Press Conference – Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell
Following Detroit’s 48–24 win over the Green Bay Packers – September 7, 2025



Opening Statement – Dan Campbell:
(grinning) "Man, that’s a great way to start the season. We came into Lambeau, played physical football, and did what we needed to do to win. Jared was sharp, our run game was rolling, and the defense came up with a huge pick-six when we needed it. That’s complementary football. I’m proud of our guys."

Reporter #1: Coach, Jared Goff threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns. How important was his performance to setting the tone for this game?
Campbell: "It was huge. Jared was locked in all week, and you could feel it from the first drive. He was decisive, he spread the ball around, and he trusted his guys to make plays. When your quarterback is dealing like that, the whole offense feeds off it. That’s veteran leadership right there."

Reporter #2: Jahmyr Gibbs had 114 rushing yards and a touchdown. What did you see from him today?
Campbell: "Explosiveness. He’s got that burst that can change a game. But what I love is he’s running with more patience and vision — letting the blocks develop, then hitting the gas. And our O-line? They were opening lanes all day. You can’t run for over 200 yards as a team without those big guys up front."

Reporter #3: That pick-six by Tyliek Williams in the third quarter seemed to really swing momentum. What did you think of that play?
Campbell: (smiling) "That’s a defensive lineman’s dream right there — catch it, see nothing but green grass, and go score. It fired up the whole sideline. Plays like that are game-changers because they take the crowd out of it and put your guys in total control."

Campbell’s Closing Remark:
"This is just one game. We’ve got 16 more battles ahead. We’ll enjoy it tonight, but tomorrow it’s all about getting better. That’s the only way we’re gonna get where we want to go."





WEEK 1 SCORES

2025 LIONS SCHEDULE

NFL STANDINGS

LIONS STATISTICS

[michaelhalljr]

Week 1
Giants (me) 24 Commanders 41
Giants actually dominated this game, but I threw 2 pick sixes after jumping out to an early 14-0 lead. Giants defense is fun to use, they're going to be tough on that side of the ball this season.

[michaelhalljr]

Week 1
Steelers (me) 20 Jets 14
This was a tough one. As you can see, neither team had a real running game. Fields was the running game for the Jets. Fun, tough game.

[SFNiners816]

I'm currently 8-4 in year 1 of my Niners Franchise. I am playing on default All-madden. I'm using Kyle as my coach and have turned off coach firing for user since I only want to be the niners. For the first time in about 20 years I am happy to say that with the formations available, I am able to recreate damn near 99% the Niners offense of the late 80s-90s. It has been a blast creating my playbook as I am running 100% undercenter (it's been since using Holmgren's playbook on madden 07-08 that's I've gone without any shotgun) and I am building my roster to recreate the dynasty era Niners. Purdy is a very poorman's Montana and is actually much more of a Jeff Garcia which I really like. Currently through 12 games he has 2900 pass yards, 21 tds, 8 Ints, 69% comp with a 103 QB rating. What's also nice is that despite being undercenter all the time I've only taken 11 sacks in 12 games. Now Brock takes a lot of hits and the pass rush is legit but I'm getting the ball out really fast.

In keeping with the classic WCO theme, I actually carry two Fullbacks as I traded for Hunter Luepke and have plans for him eventually taking of for Juice. Speaking of....its been fun carving out a nice role for him. Currently he has about 300 rush yards and 40 catches for 400 yards. CMC has also had a nice snap back to form....He's currently sitting at 950 rush yard with 45 catches for about 450 yards.

Overall, i don't use any coach loadouts for offense or defense. As far as playsheets, I only use defensive one and all the other loadouts are set for scouting and player development. I've gotta say after taking a couple years off from madden I'm having a real good time with M26.

[RyanLeaf16]

I'm currently 8-4 in year 1 of my Niners Franchise. I am playing on default All-madden. I'm using Kyle as my coach and have turned off coach firing for user since I only want to be the niners. For the first time in about 20 years I am happy to say that with the formations available, I am able to recreate damn near 99% the Niners offense of the late 80s-90s. It has been a blast creating my playbook as I am running 100% undercenter (it's been since using Holmgren's playbook on madden 07-08 that's I've gone without any shotgun) and I am building my roster to recreate the dynasty era Niners. Purdy is a very poorman's Montana and is actually much more of a Jeff Garcia which I really like. Currently through 12 games he has 2900 pass yards, 21 tds, 8 Ints, 69% comp with a 103 QB rating. What's also nice is that despite being undercenter all the time I've only taken 11 sacks in 12 games. Now Brock takes a lot of hits and the pass rush is legit but I'm getting the ball out really fast.

In keeping with the classic WCO theme, I actually carry two Fullbacks as I traded for Hunter Luepke and have plans for him eventually taking of for Juice. Speaking of....its been fun carving out a nice role for him. Currently he has about 300 rush yards and 40 catches for 400 yards. CMC has also had a nice snap back to form....He's currently sitting at 950 rush yard with 45 catches for about 450 yards.

Overall, i don't use any coach loadouts for offense or defense. As far as playsheets, I only use defensive one and all the other loadouts are set for scouting and player development. I've gotta say after taking a couple years off from madden I'm having a real good time with M26.

Another AM default OOB player. I love it!

[UltraHD]

Another AM default OOB player. I love it!

How does default AM sliders play on M26? Is there any need to tweak things or?